1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for hydrogenating an aldehyde and/or a ketone to obtain an alcohol useful as a raw material for various chemical industries or as a high performance solvent.
2. Discussion of Background
It has been known to use a ruthenium catalyst for hydrogenating an aldehyde or a ketone. (For example, see "Practical Catalysts for Respective Reactions" published by Kagaku Kogyo Sha, p.l76-191.)
For the production of a ruthenium catalyst, it is common to employ a method wherein an aqueous solution of ruthenium chloride is impregnated within a carrier, then washed with water and dried, and finally reduced with hydrogen gas. (For example, see Platinum Metal Rev. 6, p.l2-19 (1962).) However, the ruthenium catalyst obtained by this method is still poor in its catalytic activity, and a higher activity is desired particularly when an expensive metal such as ruthenium is used as a catalyst on an industrial scale.